Material gathering mechanism



May 5, 1959 K. E. M ELHATTAN MATERIAL GATHERING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 20, 1957 mvsmom KENTON E. McELHATTAN ATTORNEY Unite MATERIAL GATHERING MECHANISM Application February 20, 1957, Serial No. 641,334

12 Claims. (Cl. 198-10) This invention relates to material gathering mechanisms and more particularly to an improved floor clean-up mechanism for a continuous mining machine.

In continuous mining machines of the type known as the Joy Continuous Miner a mobile base supports a ripper head for tearing mineral from a solid mine vein and conveying means on the base receives the dislodged and disintegrated mineral and moves it rearwardly of the machine to a convenient point of delivery. During the mining operation some of the loose mineral falls to the mine floor and a floor clean-up mechanism is provided on the machine which operates in conjunction with the ripper head in cleaning up the loose mineral from the floor and for moving the mineral gathered thereby onto the conveying means of the machine.

The present invention contemplates improvements over such previous type of continuous miner in that an improved floor clean-up mechanism is provided which embodies gathering members having a variable lateral range thereby to meet variable gathering and loading conditions. The gathering members of the present invention are in the form of oscillatory gathering and loading arms and means is operatively associated with the gathering and loading arms to vary laterally the paths of oscillation thereof with respect to the machine base.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved gathering mechanism for loading loose material such as disintegrated mineral. Another object is to provide an improved floor clean-up mechanism for a continuous mining machine. A further object is to provide an improved gathering and loading mechanism having improved means for varying the lateral range of operation thereof. A still further object is to provide an improved gathering and loading mechanism of the oscillatory arm type having improved means for varying the lateral extent of the oscillatory motion of the arms.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear in the course of the ensuing description.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown for purposes of illustration one formwhich the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a small scale fragmentary side view of a Joy Continuous Miner equipped with an illustrative form of the improved floor clean-up mechanism.

2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a tiltable support or loading head showing the improved gathering mechanism with the different positions of the gathering arms shown in full and dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a detail cross section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the drive gearing for one of the gathering arms.

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. is a detail section taken on line 5-5 of Fig.2 showing a portion of an arm-adjusting device.

States Patent 0 In this illustrative construction as shown in the drawing, the improved gathering or so-called floor clean-up mechanism generally designated 1 is associated with a continuous mining machine generally designated 2 which may be of the type known as a Joy Continuous Miner. Evidently the improved floor clean-up mechanism may be associated with mining machines of other types and under certain conditions may be employed as a loading mechanism per se.

The continuous miner 2 may be of the type disclosed in the copending Russell and Sibley applications, Serial Nos. 102,995 and 102,996, filed July 5, 1949, now matured into Patent Nos. 2,798,714 and 2,798,713, granted July 9, 1957, and generally comprises a mobile base 3 having a frame 4 on which a swivelled frame 5 is mounted to swing horizontally relative thereto, and a sliding support 6 is guided for rectilinear sliding movement radially with respect to the swivelled frame axis. Pivotally mounted on the sliding support to swing in vertical planes is a ripper head 7 for dislodging and disintegrating the solid mineral of a mine vein. Pivotally mounted on the sliding support 6 beneath the ripper head is a tiltable support or loading head 8 carrying the improved floor clean-up mechanism 1. A power cylinder 9 serves to tilt the support 8 to raise and lower the floor clean-up mechanism with respect to the floor. The floor clean-up mechanism 1 has oscillatory gathering arms 10 of the well-known ,Joy Loader type which overlie the forwardly and downwardly inclined plane upper surface or top deck 11 of the tiltable support 8 and these arms are driven by crank discs 12 having their top plane surfaces flush with the top deck surface. As disclosed in Patent No. 2,050,982, dated August 11, 1936, owned by the assignee of the present invention, the crank discs have up standing crank pins 13 supporting bearings 14 with which the gathering arms have pivotal connections at pointsintermediate their ends. The forward end portions of the arms are in the form of tiltable penetrating and gathering elements 15 desirably pivoted to tilt vertically above the discs and the arms are pivotally connected at 16 at their rear ends to floating links 17 having their bottom surfaces lying substantially flush with the top deck surface. These links 17 are in turn pivoted at 18 to swing in planes parallel with the plane top deck surface. The outer ends of the arms as the latter are oscillated move in elongated orbits as indicated in broken lines at 19 and the arms engage the loose mineral on the floor and move it inwardly and rearwardly towards conventional conveying means 20 guided on the tiltable support 8 and extending rearwardly along the base frame 4 in a wellknown manner. Driven by the forwardly located trans-' verse foot shaft 21 of the conveying means (Fig. 3) are oppositely extending aligned shafts 22, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, and which are suitably journaled within the tiltable support 8. The shafts 22 are connected by by the bevel gears 26 are spur gears 28 which mesh with planet gears 29 journaled on upwardly extending shafts 30 likewise secured to the discs 12. These planet gears mesh with internal gears 31 secured to annularv members 32 secured to the deck frame of the tiltable support. Thus when the conveying means 20 is suitably driven by the motor means 33 of the continuous miner the gathering arms are simultaneously driven in out of step relation from the foot shaft of the conveying means 3 through .the .bevel andplanetary .gearings and the crank discs.

In accordance with the present invention, the gathering arm links 17 have operatively associated therewith adjustable mechanism for varying thelateral range of oscillation of the gathering arms .thereby to suit varying loading conditions. This improved adjustingmechanism may assume various forms but herein for illustrative purposes comprises outwardly and rearwardly diverging 'inclined slots 34 in the deck plate 11 of the tiltable support and guided in these .slots are bearing members or blocks 35 (Fig. These guide blocks are movable along the length of :the guide slots in directions generally transversely of the deck plate andpivotally engaging pins 36 projecting from the bottoms of the guide blocks are piston rods 37 connected to pistons 38 reciprocable within cylinders 39 lying beneath the deck plate. These cylinders are pivotally mounted at 40 at their outer ends near the sides of the deck plate.

By suitably supplying fluid such as liquid under .pressure .to the adjusting cylinders 39 the pistons 38 may be moved within the cylinders to shift the positions of the pivots of the floating links 17 thereby to vary the locations of the orbital paths thereby to vary the lateral positions of the gathering portions of the gathering arms with respect to the sides of the conveying means. When the link pivots are in their extreme outermost positions along the guide slots 34 the penetrating points of the gathering arms move in orbits designated in broken lines at 41 with the latter located with their adjacent portions lying just above the front end of the conveying means, as shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, the link pivots may be adjusted into two extreme positions inwardly and outwardly to vary the lateral range of operation of the gathering arms.

During movement of the gathering arms through their inwardly located orbits -41 the loose mineralon the floor may be gathered from the floor during operation of the ripper head, and the arms cooperate with the ripper head in moving the loose mineral onto the conveying means during the mining operation. During lateral positioning of the ripper head by swinging the swivelled frame 5 horizontally relative to the base and during clean-up operations at the ribs the gathering arms may be adjusted to move in their outwardly located orbits 19 with the arms operating near the outer sides of the tiltable support 8 so that lateral clean-up and clean-up at the ribs is made more effective at that time. Evidently, if desired, the link pivots may be adjusted into any selected position along the lengths of the guide slots to position the gathering arms in dilferently located orbits laterally of the tiltable support. By trapping liquid within the adjusting cylinders the link pivots may be firmly held in their adjusted positions.

As a result of this inventionan improved material gathering mechanism is provided which is adjustable to vary its lateral range vof operation to suit varying loading conditions. By the provision of the adjustable floating links for the oscillatory gathering arms the orbits of movement of the gathering portions of the arms may be readily and quickly varied. By varying the lateral range of operation of the gathering arms, not only may floor cleanup during the mining operation be effectively .accomplished, but also floor clean-up is improvedduringlateral positioning of the ripper head and also clean-up at .the ribs is substantially improved. Other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention'rnay assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other'forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What Iclaim as new and .desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gathering mechanism of the type disclosed, a gathering element movable in an orbital path, means for driving said gathering element, and means operatively connected to said gathering element for laterally varying the location of the orbital path thereof and for holding the same in adjusted position.

2. In a gathering mechanism of the type disclosed, cooperating gathering elements movable in orbital paths, means for driving said gathering elements, and 'means operatively connected to said gathering elements for laterally bodily varying thelocation of the orbital path of movement thereof and for holding the same in adjusted positions.

3. In a gathering mechanism of the type disclosed, gathering means comprising an oscillatory gathering element, means for oscillating said gathering element, and means operatively connected to said gathering element for adjusting the latter laterally into diiferent fixed positions to vary the lateral range of operation thereof.

4. In a gathering mechanism of the type disclosed, gathering means comprising an oscillatory gathering ele ment, means connected to said gathering element for confining movement of said gathering portion thereof in an orbital path, and means operatively connected tosaid last mentioned means for bodily varying the lateral position of the complete orbital path of said gathering element.

5. In a gathering mechanism of the type disclosed, a pair of coacting oscillatory gathering elements for engaging and gathering loose material on a floor surface, means for effecting oscillatory motion of said elements in orbital paths, and means operatively connected .to elements of said last mentioned means for bodily varying the lateral positions of the closed paths of oscillation of said elements.

6. In combination, an oscillatory gathering arm, driving means therefor, means operatively connected to said arm for causing the gathering portion of the latter to move in a closed orbital path, and means operatively connected with said last mentioned means for bodily varying the lateral position of said orbital path to vary the lateral range of operation of said gathering arm.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein a pairof oscillatory gathering elements move in alternation in orbital paths and means is provided for adjusting the lateral positions of the orbits of both arms.

8. In combination, an oscillatory gathering arm, a pivoted floating link pivotally connected to said arm for confining movement of the outer end of said arm in a closed orbital path, means operatively connected ,to said arm for oscillating the latter, and means for adjusting the pivotal point of said link into different fixed positions bodily to vary the lateral position of the orbit of .the outer end of said arm.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein pivotal mounting means is provided for said floating link including a sliding block carrying a pivot element and a guideway in which said block is guided.

'10. A combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein said (means for bodily adjusting the position of the pivotal point of said link includes an extensible power device for moving said pivot block along said guideway.

11. In a gathering mechanism of the type disclosed, a gathering element having its tip end movable in a predetermined closed orbit during the gathering operation, means for driving said gathering element to effect such movement thereof, and means operatively connected to said gathering element for adjusting the latter bodily to vary the location of said closed orbit while its shape remains unchanged.

12. In a gathering mechanism of the type disclosed, a gathering element having its outer gathering portion movable in a predetermined closed orbit during the gathering operation, means for driving said gathering element to efiect such movement thereof, and means operatively connected to said gathering element for bodily adjusting the lateral position of the latter to move its orbit into difierent fixed positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

